


Teamwork

by figure-skating-prompts (orphan_account)



Category: Figure Skating RPF
Genre: Getting Together, M/M, ish, sQuad teamwork (plus Patrick), sort of crackfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-25
Updated: 2018-06-25
Packaged: 2019-05-28 10:22:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,280
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15046796
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/figure-skating-prompts
Summary: Originally posted on Tumblr. Prompt: I only want to see some sQuad teamwork to try and get Yuzuru and Javier together just so they can't stop being akward thirdwheelers when those two are together."'Are we in position?' Boyang asked into his phone, looking over at Shoma, who was staring ahead of him. Both young men were watching Yuzuru in front of them, lazily skating around the rink, humming part of his program’s music to himself, occasionally switching up his footwork so that he still looked somewhat artistic. Of course, it was Yuzuru, so he always seemed more artistic than everyone else, but still.He was giving absolutely no effort and was focused on nothing. What a perfect target."





	Teamwork

“Are we in position?” Boyang asked into his phone, looking over at Shoma, who was staring ahead of him. Both young men were watching Yuzuru in front of them, lazily skating around the rink, humming part of his program to himself, occasionally switched up his footwork so that he looked somewhat artistic. Of course, it was Yuzuru, so he always seemed more artistic than everyone else, but still.

He was giving absolutely no effort and was focused on nothing. What a perfect target.

“Yeah,” Nathan said back, and he nodded in Patrick’s direction. The older man only rolled his eyes, clearly put-upon, and held up a hand to catch Javier’s attention. Nathan nodded again, wishing he could push his excitement down just a bit more. This was like some sort of Bond movie; they were helping James Bond (Javier) finally catch the attention of one of the Bond Girls (Yuzuru, probably). “Yeah, Patrick’s going over to him now.”

Boyang furrowed his brows together. “I thought we agreed on codenames.”

“I’m not letting you call me ‘Tiger Cub,’” Shoma muttered. “I didn’t agree to it.”

“But it was cute--”

“You don’t get to be Darth Vader if I have to be a baby animal.”

Nathan, who had been able to hear the quick banter between the two, added, “It does seem a little uneven, in hindsight. Ask Shoma if he wants a new name.”

“Nathan wants to know--”

“No names,” Shoma finally said, groaning. “Just focus.” He got up from his almost-crouching position, entering the rink and beginning to skate, quickly gaining speed. Yuzuru glanced over (good), and Shoma glided past him, preparing himself for a jump.

He wanted it to seem like he was going to try for a quad, but he was really only planning a double. But he needed to enter it quickly, and--and he was going to have to throw it and pray that nothing got broken in the outcome.

While the decision to feign an injury had not been Shoma’s idea, he had been the one to draw the short stick on the grounds that he actually did draw the short stick, and he was closest to Yuzuru out of all of them. So, he had reluctantly agreed to act as Yuzuru’s distraction, while Patrick was just supposed to lure Javier a bit closer to the area.

Throwing himself into the air, Shoma rotated once, and then twice, and then he faltered himself slightly, landing on the ice cleanly but quickly throwing his foot out so that it seemed as if his foot had slid out from under him. It could happen, he reasoned with himself. He skidded across the surface, already self-examining himself for injuries. He thankfully had none, because even if he had planned to fall badly, no one could ever be sure what was going to happen.

Shoma eventually stopped sliding, and he let himself lie still for a few moments, for effect. He could hear the scrape of skates against the ice, and he heard Yuzuru before he saw him. “Shoma!” the young man called, “are you okay?”  
  
No, because this was stupid, Shoma thought, but he pushed himself up a bit, then pretended as if he could do no more. “No, my ankle--”

Yuzuru was quick to kneel down beside his friend, careful not to touch Shoma yet. “I’m going to get the doctors.”

Shoma shook his head, and he squeezed his eyes shut in pretend pain. “No, I’m fine, don’t worry about it—“

He was grateful that he didn’t have to argue for much longer, because he was certain that Yuzuru was getting ready to pick him up and carry him to the nurse’s station himself.

But the doors opened, and Patrick walked in, mentioning something about edges. He looked bored out of his mind, but at least he could commit to his part.

Nathan met up with Boyang, the two running in, as well. “Oh, no, Shoma’s hurt—“ the latter exclaimed, and he was only a little bit of a terrible actor. Apparently, musicality on the ice couldn’t always translate to acting abilities.

But Nathan nodded along. “Yeah, it looks bad from where I can see it.” He nearly cringed at his own voice. But this was a necessary commitment—because of Yuzuru and Javier’s stubborn obliviousness, everyone else had to suffer between them, both emotionally and physically.

According to Boyang, something had to give. And so he and Nathan and Shoma (and somehow Patrick) had devised a plan to make the two at least begin to realize their feelings for each other.

Somehow, it had ended up becoming a case of how much Shoma could pretend to injure himself.

“Can you walk?” Patrick asked, and he looked as if he would rather be anywhere else, but Nathan had to commend him for his commitment. Javier was a good friend of his, and he had always held a large amount of respect for Yuzuru. If he could offer a little bit of help to the two in the road to their becoming the power couple of figure skating, then Nathan suspected that Patrick was willing to do it, even if he were embarrassed.

Shoma nodded, and Boyang sent him a dangerous glare, so he shook his head quickly. “I don’t think so--”

Without waiting, Boyang typed something into his phone, and a few moments later, Nathan felt his phone buzz in his pocket. He grabbed it, reading a text from the young man that was standing next to him.

_[B: And then you say if only there was someone who could carry him.]_

_Were_ , Nathan inwardly corrected. If only there _were_ someone who could carry him. Another message came through.

_[B: And say I would but my arms are so spindly and weak that I don’t think I’m strong enough]_

So, Nathan was beginning to understand why Patrick had been so reluctant to agree to this scheme. Between the four of them, Boyang was too invested, Shoma wasn’t invested enough, Nathan was a bit too neutral, and Patrick was too old for this.

_[B: Help us, Nathan Chen. You’re our only hope]_

Whatever. Nathan sighed, shrugging. “If only there were someone who could carry him. I would...but...my arms are so spindly and weak that I--I don’t think I’m strong enough.” He mostly wanted to punch Boyang in the face after this, but Yuzuru nodded concernedly, glancing over at Patrick.

To be fair, he did entirely skip over Boyang. Spindly arms, indeed.

Patrick shook his head. “I don’t think I can. I’m…” He deliberately looked down at his phone, and it was obvious that Boyang had texted him, too. “I’m afraid that I may drop him. If only we had someone with enough fortitude and--inner strength?--to carry Shoma.”

Shoma raised his head off the ice, clearly confused. Nathan figured that he was wondering how long it could possible take them to ask Javier to do it. Fortunately, they didn’t have to wait much longer, because the young man kneeled down, offering a warm smile. “I think I might be able to help,” he said, and he held out a hand for Shoma to take. “I mean, I think it would be better if we had a doctor come to us, but--”

“And waste precious time?” Boyang asked. He didn’t even seem to mind that everyone else was giving him annoyed looks at this point. Even Yuzuru seemed fed up, and he was always the most patient of observers.

Once Shoma took Javier’s hand, Javier helped him up, being careful as not to jostle the younger man’s (un)injured foot. In the quickest of movements, Javier picked him up, one arm supporting his knees, the other Shoma’s back and neck.

Nathan saw a look cross Shoma’s face that could only convey understanding. It was as if he finally understood why Yuzuru was always so drawn to Javier. He shrunk slightly, almost playing up the injury, and Nathan gave him an unimpressed look. Shoma seemed unconcerned, though.  
  
The group quickly made it off the ice, and Javier walked without bending under the other skater’s weight. “Am I hurting you?” he asked kindly.

Shoma hardly shook his head. “I’m fine--”

“I’m glad to hear that. You’re very strong.” He smiled, the gesture warm and appealing, and Nathan felt a certain pang of affection himself. He could tell that Boyang was feeling the same way, because the young man did not even try to hide the way he clutched his chest in surprise. Patrick even looked a bit moved. Of course, they all knew that Shoma was faking it like no other, but the fact that Javier was so gentle and so strong, even in a constructed sort of scenario was incredible.

And it was good for them, as they thought about what that would mean for a potential relationship with Yuzuru. That certain man was watching, mouth in a thin line and looking very thoughtful. He tried to keep a distance, that way he didn’t interfere. But his eyes were swimming with some kind of emotion that Nathan couldn’t pinpoint, despite how much he always liked to pride himself on understanding people.

It wasn’t affection, that he was feeling. And it wasn’t sadness, either.

Maybe Nathan wasn’t yet old enough to know what it was.

Javier pushed open the door to the nurse’s office with his hip, walking in. The woman stood up, a bit alarmed, and she directed Javier to set Shoma down on a bed so that she could investigate.

Without being asked to do so, Javier hovered around the bed, and it wasn’t until Shoma unconfidently told him that it would be alright if he left that the older man agreed, almost apologetically. “I’m sorry. I hope that you feel better soon,” he said, patting Shoma’s knee and then walking out.

“I think Shoma’s in good hands,” Boyang said.

Yuzuru nodded wordlessly, still apparently conflicted in some way. But he shook off the look quickly, smiling. “I’m glad,” he said.

“That was...pretty incredible of Javier to jump into action like that,” Nathan said, and he hoped that Boyang wouldn’t criticize him for going off-script. It was a terrible script, after all. But, deciding that he would follow Boyang’s lead for this adventure, he added, “And pretty strong, don’t you think?”

“I do,” Yuzuru replied.

Patrick sat down in the chair next to Shoma, nonchalantly smacking the younger man’s ankle so that he remembered to feign his injury. Shoma jumped but listened, curling up a bit more and looking quite helpless. “He was a life-saver,” he said.

“He’s so kind,” Boyang added. “I just hope that he’s able to share that--that action and strength and kindness with someone someday. Because he’s in-between relationships. He’s single.”

“Too direct,” Nathan whispered, but even as he corrected Boyang, he noticed that Yuzuru’s expression changed again. It still wasn’t some weird kind of understanding, not like the one that Shoma and Nathan had perhaps experienced, but it was a new expression all the same, and one that conveyed...longing? Longing, mixed with determination.

That had to be it.

Yuzuru offered Shoma one more smile. “Let me know if you need anything. I’ll see you later.” He excused himself, exiting the room and hurrying down the hall.

Immediately after he left, Shoma hopped out of the bed, and the group of four ran to the door to peer through it. It wasn’t a particularly clear sight, but they could see Yuzuru jogging down the hallway and catching Javier by the arm. The older man turned around, and he seemed pleasant enough, but his smile faltered when he got a look at Yuzuru.

They couldn’t hear what Yuzuru was saying, nor could they even see what his face looked like, but they could see Javier and the way that his eyes softened and his head tilted slightly to the side. They saw Javier’s smile widen again, and he nodded, nodded furiously even.

Yuzuru was gesturing wildly, and he moved his arms in a wide movement, imitating pulling someone up.

“He must be talking about the way he picked you up, Shoma.”

Shoma made a small noise in agreement.

Yuzuru then moved his hand a bit closer to Javier, and the other man took it, holding it close to himself. It looked that way, anyway, from Nathan’s group’s angle. Patrick cleared his throat. “So, should we really be watching this?”

“Please stop talking,” Boyang replied, and Nathan elbowed him, chuckling. Anyone but Boyang would have said that and seemed like a terrible person, but Boyang’s personality was entirely genuine, and he would never say an unkind word to anyone. Hence the reason he went to sch lengths to assure that Javier and Yuzuru would have to have their big conversation.

Shoma’s phone rang, and he cursed lightly when Mihoko’s name lit up the screen. “I should probably tell her that I’m not injured,” he mentioned, and the others nodded.

From the time it took them to look away from Yuzuru and Javier, to Shoma, and back to Yuzuru and Javier, the pair was already walking off, and Boyang made a strangled noise in the back of his throat. “What does that mean? That doesn’t tell us anything--”

“Maybe they wanted somewhere private to talk,” Patrick suggested, and Nathan nodded.

That answer was almost enough to satisfy Boyang, but they all ended up gaping when Javier’s hand fell to his side, and it grasped for Yuzuru’s hand. The younger man didn’t object, and the two let their fingers loosely weave together.

“...well, I--I guess that answers that,” Nathan mumbled, wide-eyed.   

**Author's Note:**

> I have all my finished prompts on figure-skating-prompts.tumblr.com, so if there are any prompts there that you would like to see here for easy access, please let me know!


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